This
year I had the honor of being invited to Orange County Fashion Week (OCFW) by model
and Mrs. Greater California sweetheart Anamarie Dean. I had met Mrs. Dean while
styling for a runway show. Our second encounter was due to the fact that I was styling for an
editorial and she was the model, which lead to this recent invite.

Having
only a few days to find and pull an outfit together. I had to think quickly of
what I wanted to wear and if I had anything in my wardrobe. I didn’t; at least not anything that I would
want to strut at OCFW. So, I pulled out my style guide and started reviewing my
fashion designer contacts.

Recently,
I had been in contact with Bryan Vaughn from Vaughnberry, winning designer of
Fashion Week San Diego 2018. His stylish
and impeccable clothing wowed the audience. So, I thought, “Why not ask him if
he would lend me one of his ensembles for this event.” Happily, he agreed to lend me an outfit to
wear to OCFW.

Thank
God his sample designs are sizes six to eight. In his words, “A girls got to
eat.”

I
love his message and encouragement of women being healthy!

At
first I thought of his most recent collection. However, after recalling his
first eye-catching attire from the 2017 fashion show, I knew I had to get into
that cape-suit outfit he designed.

This
design included a cape jacket with pockets lined with a silk tree print from
the bottom up that could be seen from a mile away. This was complimented with high
waist pants, which also have pockets.
And to “top it off,” my head was adorned with a top hat.

I
threw on my gray vintage pumps and it pretty much equaled magic. This was it!
My husband had something in his wardrobe that matched me perfectly. We were on our way to OCFW.

Upon
arriving, a valet parked our vehicle at AV Irvine, known
as Orange County’s hottest destination for events, which followed with us taking a walk down the red carpet. Upon our arrival, we could see that this
event was already packed with an eager audience. We provided our show passes
and were escorted to our seats. Everything
appeared to run very professionally, and we were treated as dignitaries.

We
decided to get our photos taken and got to meet Cloelle of HaySalty. She was
wearing a beautiful and flowing gown. Her entire ensemble had a dreamy feeling.
She proceeded to interview me, so I was able to talk about Bryan Vaughn of Vaughnberry,
his successes and also showcase his creation.

The cruise wear theme for the designers is based on
Celebrity Cruises’ new luxury Celebrity Edge and Celebrity
Flora ships and is titled “Celebrity Cruises Luxury Collection,”
using a design inspiration video to help create a very cohesive
collaboration.

To
emphasize the cruise theme, the X runways were precisely situated throughout
the venue. As a producer of runway shows, I was impressed by the precision and the
strategic placement of staging areas so that the models posed at the center
points of the X runway. (Good job team!)

There
were six designers and some with up to 23 different styles. They all put
forward their very best to present well made designs with impeccable details,
bright colors and amazing beading.

A
few designers definitely got my attention, including Vanessa Lozada, designer
of beautiful gowns with amazing details of butterflies, birds, and these leaf
studded belts. As
models walked down the runway I thought to myself, “Yes, I will
take one of those for my wardrobe; thank you very much!” So much skill and
talent this designer possesses.

Another
designer that has amazing talent is Egypt Ufele of Chubii Line. She is just a
baby (junior designer) in terms of age and experience. However, she has a very mature knowledge of the
female body and design aesthetics.

And,
to finish off her mature nature, she is also an anti-bullying activist, which I
love. Her line includes an array of beautiful fabrics: lace, fur, and chiffon. Then
she adds stylish hats as well as a men’s look. Egypt’s line went from bright colors
to dark tones pretty quickly. Personally, I associated it with the bully
undertones as a person can go from a happy soul to a dark one with the words
and actions of others in our lives. It was a beautiful presentation.

The
last designer I would like to mention is Ugochi Iwuaba. When her final design walked down the runway,
I knew she would be a tough contender. Her colors are bright, bold, with
impeccable lines. Whether they were flowing or tapered to the body, they were
on-point. So many styles I would wear in everyday life and want in my wardrobe
when I am feeling myself, and also want to make a fun, flirty impression.

The
end was near and Pol’atteu and Patrik Simpson from Gown and Out in Beverly
Hills announced the winner of Celebrity Cruises night and the drum roll. It was
none other than my personal favorite, Ugochi Iwuaba.

This
was such a cool and memorable evening at a different venue on another side of
town.

Thank
you to Anamarie for the invite, Vaughnberry for the wardrobe, Cloelle for your
sweetness and work on providing the photo from the event, OCFW and Celebrity
Cruises for putting on such a beautiful evening and event. I am eager to attend
again next year.

On the OCFW red carpet are husband and wife: Travis James and Stylishly Aubree Lynn wearing Vaughnberry. Photo is courtesy of Studio Salty.

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